13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Robin

F ae nonsense.

The wild fae enclave was well-hidden. Luckily, the bastards seemed to want to be found. Sanka's third spell had finally caught, pulling away some of the layers of glamour and illusion so we could find our way to the heart of the preserve.

Sanka thought Yukio and Ruya were sheltering here, hiding away from the emperor's people. But I wasn't so sure. I knew how the wild fae felt about the high fae—especially ex-syndicate fae who had earned a reputation for assassinating O'Dell's enemies.

It was more likely they were being held hostage for some reason.

I wanted to wring the stupid snake's neck for letting them get separated. But I knew that was just the jealous alpha beast in me talking. If things started exploding, and Yukio had fairy-stepped them away, there was precisely nothing any of us could have done. The snake handled it well, much as I was loathe to admit it. He said Yuki had shoved him through the portal with a blast of magic. But once he regained his footing, he killed the syndicate goons who had followed him and impatiently waited for our return amid the pile of bodies, so we could work together to find our missing people.

He might be an okay sort after all, if he had his priorities straight that way. Anyone who tried to harm Ruya obviously deserved to end up as a smear on the sidewalk, and he hadn't done the usual stupid alpha male thing and went charging off on his own in unfamiliar territory. I supposed he did have a few brain cells rattling around in that empty head of his after all.

When we entered the fae enclave, we were led to a meeting room. I jerked my long coat straight and squared my shoulders as I walked past the strange wild fae sentries outside. The entire underground village was a rustic work of art. Not as polished and shiny as my own underground lair, of course, but a wonder, all the same. Sanka paced behind me, a silent, bulky wall of barely banked fire magic. We had left the others behind. It wasn't safe for any of us to be here. It would be pure foolishness to bring the entire court here, where we might end up trapped under fae influence for eons.

A dully gleaming table took up the center of the meeting room, a single plank hewn from an ancient tree, probably crafted by elven hands. The leader of the fae enclave stood at the head of the table, and he made a sweeping gesture as we entered, indicating that we should sit.

The elder was a willowy sort with bark-like gray skin, wild white hair and beard, and piercing sky-blue eyes that had seen centuries come and go. "Welcome to our humble dwelling," he said in a voice that was paper-thin but brooked no nonsense. "I've been waiting for you, dragon."

I wasn't surprised this fae knew what I was. I kept my identity close to the vest, but wild fae were in tune with nature. They could sense the subtle energies in every living thing. And that included hidden dragon shifters.

"You have something of mine," I said evenly. Calmly. As if I had all the time in the world, when in reality the need to move , to go , to find the emperor and take back my birthright was a burning, writhing thing in my gut. "I would like it back."

He tilted his head at the vacant chairs before us, and I narrowed my eyes. I didn't want to play fae games right now. But I knew I needed to curb this impatience before it got the best of me. Again. Pulling out a rough-hewn chair crafted from old, polished roots, I sank down at the table and folded my hands in my lap like the demure lady old men seemed to think I should be.

Sanka huffed. He didn't sit, but took up position behind my chair like a trained guard, content to let me do the social niceties.

"I'm certain you are looking for my honored guests," the fae leader said with a genial smile as he pulled out his own chair and sat. He waved a hand and a small fae with blue feathers for hair trotted out on cloven hooves, pushing a tea tray. "It has been my honor to care for your lost court members," he said as he poured the tea.

I mentally braced myself for more games and tried not to let my eye twitch when my headache ratcheted up a notch. "I'm sure your hospitality has been wonderful," I said with a soft, practiced smile. "The general public may think the wild fae uncivilized, but I am well aware how uninformed most people tend to be." I accepted a cup of tea and sat back, arching a brow. "I think we would both agree that the paranormal population has not always made the wisest decisions. Particularly when choosing a leader."

The wild fae had been supremely mistreated since even before the paranormal world revealed itself to humans. They didn't have the skills or the desire to hide themselves among humas the way the high fae could. Which made them less able to walk the world, making them more isolated and easily cut off from the rest of the paranormal world. And on top of that, they were dependent on nature, drew their life force from the wild places—places that were constantly being destroyed by ignorant humans and the uncaring syndicate that thrived so well in cities and more populated places.

Paranorms should have banded together after the reveal. We should have looked out for each other. Instead, we proved that we were no better than humans—preying on those who were seen as weak, or who were too different to blend in. I might not trust these fae, might have a healthy respect for their bitterness and their desire to see the paranormal races who had abandoned them suffer. But I did understand why they felt the way they did. And I tried to convey that to this fae with everything I said. And everything I left unsaid.

He smiled at me over the top of his teacup. And I thought maybe some small portion of that smile was genuine. But then, fae did play their games better than anyone. Even the more… rural fae.

"Ah, here they are," he said warmly, eyes moving to the doorway on the other side of the room. I sensed them immediately—two powerful auras that were firmly tied to my heart—and a bit of the tension inside me unwound.

They entered the room arm-in-arm. Ruya's handsome face was alight with amusement, and her bright laughter filled the air at something Yukio had said. It was clear they didn't know we had come for them. My stoic pixie with his frosty yuki-onna blood looked… at ease. He was smirking as he teased Ruya. They looked like a heart-wrenchingly beautiful couple in love.

Sanka snorted, ruining the moment. Clearly, he could see what I saw. Those two were awfully affectionate all of a sudden. I smirked.

Yukio glanced up and realized that the fae elder had company, and most of the humor left his face. "Finally. Fucking hell, you oversized lizard. I thought you'd gotten tired of us and decided to let us rot forever down here!"

Ruya froze beside him as she no doubt sensed my aura and Sanka's. Then she broke into a blinding smile. "Robin? Sanka?"

She pulled away from Yukio to cross the room, homing in on where I sat. Yukio just crossed his arms over his chest and trailed slowly behind her, clearly not happy with me.

I stood to pull my witch into a hug, reveling in the soft, but sturdy, feel of her in my arms. My dragon nature stretched and preened, as if we'd be rolling in her scent and basking in her magic if given half a chance. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, then pulled back to study her face.

"Ruya. I trust the fae have treated you well?" My eyes skimmed over her, finding no trace of injury or mistreatment. If anything, she was glowing . As radiant and happy as I'd ever seen her.

"Of course," she replied, squeezing my hand between hers. "The fae have been very kind. They offered us shelter from the elements and a place to nurse our wounds until you were done playing with the emperor."

I cast a glance at Yukio. The pixie's frosty blue eyes met mine, clearly reading the demand for answers in my expression. "We got blasted across the woods. I fairy-stepped us away from the syndicate assholes, but we were pretty bruised up, and my magic was drained." His eyes softened as he glanced at Ruya. "She healed me. But it was too cold for her to wander the forest forever waiting for you to come find us." Then his gaze met mine again. "She made a bargain with them before I could stop her. Now she owes them a favor." The anger was back in his gaze. "And you could have fucking hurried up, princess."

I sighed. "You know how it goes, Yukio. We came looking for you the moment we realized something had happened, after the clusterfuck of a mission."

Ruya frowned at me. "But, we've been here for weeks ."

I arched a brow at Yukio, but he just shook his head. "I've tried to explain, but I don't think it ever really sinks in until they're hit with hard numbers."

I smoothed the hair back from Ruya's face. "Darling, it's only been a day and a half. Time—"

"Moves differently here," she groaned. "I know. Yuki's right. He told me this. It's just… Has it really only been a day and a half ?"

I chuckled. "Yes, Ruya. We came immediately. But it probably feels like you've been trapped here for ages. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. You came. That's all that matters. And besides, it hasn't been all bad. The fae have been perfect hosts."

Her cheeks flushed a faint pink at that, and I arched a brow at Yukio. I got the distinct feeling Ruya had plenty of reasons to enjoy her stay in the wild fae enclave, and not all of them had to do with her hosts.

"Well," I said, recalling myself back to the situation at hand. "I'm sure this has all been very entertaining for you, elder," I said to the wild fae leader who was currently grinning at us from over his tea. "But we really should be going now."

I patted my hair back into place and looked down my nose at the fae. "I assume you'll require a favor to be paid at a later date? You can count on my court to assist you when needed, elder, provided it does not endanger my people or our… other goals."

But the smug bastard just continued to give me that same soft, slightly amused smile. "The favor is hers to repay," he said, nodding toward Ruya. "But I would speak with you a moment of your lofty goals, my dragon friend."

It took an effort not to grow claws. I did not like the idea of this fae claiming a favor from Ruya. I had hoped to smoothly transfer any such obligation to myself and the court. Because you never knew what kind of awful promise a fae would extract.

"If her bargain is made mine, then I will stay and talk," I informed the wild fae. I didn't have time for these stupid games.

"Her bargain is hers," he said evenly. "And you will sit and listen." The door behind us closed on its own, the soft thud echoing through the room like a stern warning.

We were in the heart of a wild fae enclave in the middle of the largest fae preserve in the country. Bluster though I might. Rage and burn as Sanka and I could with fire and magic… we were not leaving here until the fae allowed it, and we both knew it.

"Fine," I said curtly, lifting my chin and giving the elder a taste of the same kind of haughty self-importance his people always portrayed. "Speak and I will listen. But make it quick. I have other things I need to be doing."

"Oh, I am well aware of all the things you think you need to be doing," he informed me between sips of tea. "And that is why I have waited for you to come here."

A skitter of unease skated down my spine. That wasn't the first time he'd said he'd been waiting for me. Fae elders—especially those who were connected to the strong wild magic—often had abilities that others only dreamed of.

"Now you begin to see," the old fae told me as Yukio silently moved closer, an assassin placing himself to move with deadly precision to defend the women he loved. "Stand down, cold one," the elder said with a dismissive wave. "I will not harm your mates today. And you couldn't stop me even if I chose to murder them before your eyes, young whelp." Those sharp, inhuman eyes met mine and his voice carried a weight that it hadn't carried before.

"You lost your mates in the forest because you let your impatience and impulsivity get the best of you, dragon," he chided me in those even, measured tones. His eyes went a bit distant, and the chill I had felt earlier intensified. "You have things to accomplish," he told me, looking through me as he spoke. "There is greatness in your future. But you need to ask yourself why the fates have chosen you for your task." His gaze focused on the present again, as he glared fiercely at me. "The world does not need another evil dictator. If you would eradicate this evil that has gripped our community for so long, then by all means, do so. But do not be sloppy. Do not squander your opportunity a second time."

I blinked at him. All that drama. All that strange tension. I had been certain he was about to start spewing prophesy at me… but all he wanted to do was chastise me and tell me not to fuck up next time I went after the emperor?

"Noted," I said slowly. One could hardly laugh in the face of an ancient, all-powerful being who could literally hold you prisoner for a few centuries if you pissed him off.

The fae elder nodded. I could feel Yukio's eyes on me, burning holes in my back. Clearly, he had something to say. But I could hear all about it later. Once we were safely home.

"May we go now?" I asked, arching my brows at the fae elder. "As lovely as this has all been. I would stand a much better chance of success in that mission you just spoke of, if I weren't on holiday in the fae realms for several hundred years."

The elder barked a laugh, and I was struck again at the sense of genuine amusement. It was a strange thing to witness in a fae. But then, these were wild fae. The stick wasn't buried quite as far up their asses as it was with their high fae brethren. "You are an amusing creature, dragon," he informed me. "Please come visit us again when you are finished chasing your destiny."

I took Ruya's hand and turned to go, but the asshole spoke again. "Ah, there is just one more thing." I turned back to glare at him, and he glanced at Ruya. "There is the little matter of the bargain your young witch made for their room and board. I would speak with her alone before you leave."

I ground my teeth together. He wanted to get Ruya alone to hash out the details of their fae bargain. Who knew what trickery would ensue? "You will speak with her while we are all present. And she will not agree to anything that she doesn't wish to agree to," I growled, smoke curling from my nostrils.

The fae elder sighed and shook his head, as if he was supremely disappointed with me. "What did I just tell you, dragon? Those impulses will be the death of your cause, you know. I understand that the death-crier is your true mate, princess Iborn, but do try to recall that she has a perfectly good head on her shoulders."

Then, after calling me by my deadname, revealing that he knew all about Ruya's heritage (and more about me than I liked), and telling me to shut my mouth, the fae elder waved a hand and banished me from the room.